


Deal Breaker

by leimyda



Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: Anal Sex, Bottom Park Jinyoung (GOT7), Established Relationship, Family Feels, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Plot Twists, Romantic Soulmates, Top Im Jaebum | JB
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:34:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22860070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leimyda/pseuds/leimyda
Summary: Jaebeom wakes up without his memories, captured by a demon that seems to know about his past. Back on Earth, Jinyoung and the boys still can't give up the hope that they will see him again.They are all here to show us through this thrilling story, that with friendship and love, they can conquer the scariest of demons together.Will Jaebeom succeed in finding his way back home to his one and only love, Jinyoung and reunite with his family that was formed by friendship? Come and see for yourself :)
Relationships: Im Jaebum | JB/Park Jinyoung, Mark Tuan/Jackson Wang
Comments: 6
Kudos: 43
Collections: JJP Big Bang





	Deal Breaker

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, I'd like to say the biggest thank you to my support team. My beta, [Ythurielle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ythurielle) who watched me crumble under the weight of writing something like this and encouraged me to keep on going. Also to [Theirblinggirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theirblinggirl) who gave me useful tips when I was utterly stuck and for being the first person to read the finished work and comment on it enthusiastically. Last, but not least the artist who envisioned the poster (and book cover) for it, [Igototseven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/igototsevenl). Special thank you to the mods who put this whole Challenge together!
> 
> I was rather new to the nest when I came up with this idea and I poured my whole heart into it whilst learning more about the group and working on smaller projects to become better at writing and worthy of capturing JJP's mesmerizing relationship.  
> The story builds on deep feelings: angst, friendship, love and hope.
> 
> You can find additional mood boards on my Twitter account: [leimyda](https://twitter.com/leimyda/status/1236339425220714496)

*Chapter 1*

There was a figure in the dark. He lay on his stomach unconsciously with arms spread wide, mimicking a limp body washed ashore overnight. Watching from above, it could have looked as if deep sleep captured him in a dark cocoon, but his dream must have been restless for the way he woke. Coughing shook his whole body violently, urging moldy air into the aching lungs, like someone desperately resurfacing after spending too much time underwater. 

The boy feebly pushed himself up on his knees and buried his face in his palms, balancing his fatigued body which started to tremble from the sudden movement. He steadied his lower half on his heels and let the hands drop, uncovering his eyes. At first, he thought his eyelids were not cooperating with him. There was only darkness surrounding him. 

After his pupils adjusted to the conditions, slight changes in the shadows started to form. Or was it just his imagination? No, there was definitely something to it. His breathing sped up as he straightened up. He took a step forward into the nothingness hesitantly, holding his arm out, expecting to bump into something, then allowing his muscles to relax as the limb hit nothing. 

Willing himself to move forward with baby steps, he touched cold stone soon enough. He took a sharp breath in surprise, then raised both hands, easing each finger around the cracks, nails catching on the uneven surface. There was no end to the bricks as he started walking alongside the wall, occasionally hitting the metallic torches that were attached above head-level. It all was just so quiet, eerie even with the shallow inhales he allowed himself. The skin on his fingertips started to ache because of the friction caused by crumbling mortar.

How much time had passed he wasn’t sure, though it sure felt long enough since the place started to get to his nerves. Skin caught on shiver, goosebumps raised the hair on his forearm. A clicking noise somewhere further away ripped all thoughts from his mind, giving way to fear instead. The heavy thuds on the floor drew closer and then it sounded like an old rusty gate was opened. This screeching sound came from much closer than he expected, urging him to back up against the sturdy wall in alarm.

A shadow walked across his peripheral view, humming a tune he couldn’t quite put in place. At the noise of fingers snapping, deep red light appeared on the rusty torches. The frightened boy had to blink a handful of times to clear his vision. That motion he regretted immediately, for his fragile body couldn’t compare to the size of the creature standing in front of him. The muscles moving under the thin fabric tied around its body were vast, but the purple tone of its skin was the most frightening sigh at first.

The boy was so scared he could hardly breathe. His eyes, wide with shock trailed upwards, past the leather-like belt with huge scales on it, towards the chest not rising at the rhythm of breath, captured between big rusty chains. The nervous gaze then halted on the medallion hanging on an antique chain around the veiny neck. Eyebrows still furrowed and head tilted slightly to the left, the confusion on his face grew into the impression of someone realizing something familiar but just being unable to grasp where from.

Tearing his gaze away, the agitated boy got to see his surroundings at last. Faint light bounced on the rough stones, carved columns casting thick shadows everywhere. The silent and cold place turned out to be a rather immense hall. No wonder he wasn’t able to get to the end of it. There were a few used up wooden benches, tables and shelves around but there was nothing on either of them. Bolted gates shimmered dully, hinting that there were other rooms just nearby.

Since the interior held little to no interest for now, there was no other choice but to look into those yellow snake eyes that were already gazing spine-chillingly into his soul - if he had any at this point. It let its lips curl up and at the parting of its mouth, he was able to take a glimpse of the sharp, pointy teeth. The curl turned into a wide smile as the creature said:

“Welcome back, Im Jaebeom.”

Oh, so that’s what his name was... 

*Chapter 2*

Only the moon’s faint bluish light reached through the curtains while the young boy was buried under soft white sheets. The bed swallowed up his figure, only the rise and fall of his back gave sign of his presence. He wasn’t aware of the noises of the city, for his dream tucked him into silent bliss.

It started out somewhat slow. One whisper here, a glimpse of eyes there. Those double moles below the eyebrows, he could swear he’d seen those before. He was walking along the river, smiling into those deep brown eyes, feeling careless whilst explaining something trivial enthusiastically. He slipped on a slimy rock, strong arms around his hips steadying him quickly. Those unique brown dots were so much closer now, warm breath caressing his cheeks as the other person leaned into his space.

In the blink of an eye, he was at another location. A bunch of boys gathered by a table, passing food around, laughing at someone who was stuffing the chopsticks into his mouth like they were vampire fangs. He felt a hand touch the back of his neck lightly, thumbs brushing against his hairline. He never felt so at home in his entire lifetime.

Then one more blink and candle lights were weaving through his vision, the smell of cinnamon and apple filling his nostrils. Cheesy Christmas music was faintly playing in the background, one of his hands patted the strands of the fluffy rug that he was comfortably sitting on, leaning against the sofa filled with colorful boxes. A person swayed forward, trying to reach a glass of wine from the table but his fingers slipped. The red substance started to spread on the pretty rug before he could save the drink. 

That red spot made him uneasily shift on his bed but he didn’t wake up.

The mood of the dream started to modify rapidly. The spilled alcohol filled his whole vision until he could see nothing but blood-red color. Once the picture cleared again, it was the middle of the day. He was standing on a busy street, his tear-filled eyes stared on the black shoes turning and slowly walking away from him, his own words echoing in his mind:

_Please don’t leave me…_

He woke startled as the door swung open with a big thud, someone storming in, then coming to an abrupt halt in front of his bed because of the face he must have made.

“Jinyoung, I thought you were already awake! We will be late from the meeting with PD-nim!" The boy scratched his nose and when his urgency wasn't acknowledged, he asked "Is everything okay? You seem like you’ve seen a ghost.”

After forcefully swallowing the lump in his throat, he slowly answered:

“It was something like that. Give me a few moments to get dressed, please.”

The younger boy, Youngjae smiled and closed the door as he walked out. His smile faded into the habitual ‘everything is fine, just leave me alone’ expression. Since Jaebeom was gone, they kept meetings to the bare minimum. Having a hiatus meant no tv show attendance and no concerts. They referred to health issues as the news about Jaebeom were not officially published, knowing how fans would react. Even if they wished well, the messages would send the band in a downward spiral. He hoped, one day they will all be able to look at Jaebeom’s memory with fondness instead of misery and gloom.

Jinyoung lifted his sheets on the other side of the door, he shivered at the rush of cooler air in his clothes that the nightmare drenched with sweat. This was not the first time in the past months that he had these same dreams, all linked to someone special to him. One thing he knew for sure. He would do anything to see this person again.

*Chapter 3*

Yugyeom, the youngest in the group just rolled the bowling ball. Everybody watched it with open mouths as it gained speed and hit the figurines. All of them cheered and jumped when the display flashed 'STRIKE'. Bambam, his best friend was the first to congratulate him on a handshake while Jackson tried to hitch a piggy ride on his back. Mark, the eldest member of the team gave him a hug accompanied by a striking smile. Youngjae awarded the winner with a big swing of his arms across his shoulder blades while laughing wholeheartedly. Jinyoung was the last one to step forward, wrapping all the boys in a group hug, then they all spun around until they crashed on the couches feeling dizzy. 

"Whose turn is it?" squinted Jackson on the display in vain. 

"How many times do I have to kick your butt for you to visit an eye specialist?" pouted Jinyoung with hands on his hips. 

"As many times as he checks himself in the mirror!" came the snarky reply from Youngjae. 

Everyone burst into laughter at his witty remark, but when they looked at the board to find out whose name is written in the next row, the whole team froze, feeling guilty for having fun at all. 

They still wrote Jaebeom’s name on the board, each taking turns in honor of his memory. It was something they all liked doing together after all. Their faces turned into stone sculptures, Jackson and Mark even glanced away, looking at their shoelace, hiding their emotions. It was unnecessary as everybody felt the same, utter never-fading sorrow for their best friend and family member whom they got so fond of over the past year. Having him gone forever seemed cruel and unfair, it felt like leaving a part of their own soul behind. Months have passed and neither of them was able to cope with the fact that Jaebeom was never going to return and life was going on without him. His room was still untouched, all belongings exactly where he left them last. Well, that is not entirely true because all the boys went in there to hide from the others’ eyes, sitting on the bed, hugging his red hoodie or Jaebeom's pillow, sobbing until they fell asleep or till they had no more tears left. Then they walked out and pretended that everything is fine. This is what Jinyoung told them to do anyway…

"I understand you still miss him, but it's time to move on. He wouldn't want you to miss out on life just because he is gone. You should honor his memory, remember him in the good times and keep on fighting."

"How can you say these things to us with such ease?" asked Yugyeom one time. "It's like you've already moved on! I bet you never even loved him!"

It was hard for Jinyoung to hold his tears back when accusations like this were thrown at him, but that's why he was the one to look after everyone, he was the strongest. But when no one saw, he curled up in the corner of Jaebeom's room, muffled wails escaping through his mouth that was stuffed with his fist in order to no be heard by the others, swearing heavily and asking how he could leave him, why is he the one who has to deal with everything alone. 

There was one time when he was so angry he punched the mirror where Jaebeom hung their Polaroids. He looked at them for so long, he memorized each location and pose until his mind slipped through the ink, wishing he was captured there on the photograph instead of staying in the present hopelessly. Jackson was the one who walked in on him in this state, knuckles deep red, skin torn and Jinyoung watching a few droplets of blood trickling down towards his elbow with a face distorted with a much deeper pain than that little injury. They didn't speak of that occasion, but when next time Youngjae was throwing a fit at Jinyoung for similar reasons, Jackson was the one to offer protection from the harsh words. 

"Can't you see he is in pain too? Imagine how hard it is for him to lose Jaebeom and then take care of all of you in your worst behavior? Leave him alone and help instead of saying nasty things just because you're hurt. All of us are. We should bring comfort to each other, stop being so selfish." 

After this, everyone was a bit more considerate and they tried harder to support one another emotionally. 

This was only two months ago. Since then they scheduled special nights to go out even if they didn’t feel like it. 

Jinyoung, being the strongest, stood up stating: "This is our last round for today, that means it’s my turn. This one is for you, Jaebeom. You will always live on in our hearts. Please, rest in peace and look down on us knowing we will never forget you."

The ball rolled into the figurines, swiping all of them at once as a final, irreversible action. 

*Chapter 4*

It might have been two months since Jaebeom was stuck in this castle prison, trying to occupy himself while being alone. The demon, whose name turned out to be Wooseok, came to check on him from time to time but there wasn’t much conversation held between them. The creature seemed to be content with just the fact that Jaebeom was trapped here. It wasn’t like he was locked up in a cell or something, he discovered various parts of the building, including a huge library. He spent most of his time there, reading volumes of books on languages that he wasn’t supposed to understand, yet as soon as he looked at the letters, the meaning came to him naturally.

That wasn’t the only strange thing happening to him. After the first few restless nights on the uncomfortable wooden bed, dreams started to flow in. Scenes with a woman (assumingly his mother) teaching him out of a book, hugging him while whispering sweet encouragements. Then he was much older, a bunch of boys gathered in a group hug, their hands coming together as they cheered for each other, shouting ‘Jjai’ on top of their lungs. There was a person among them whom he seemed to share a special bond with. He saw the dark strands of chestnut brown hair, he felt his hand on the boy’s knee and the warmness of skin while sharing a handshake. Each time he woke, he sat at the end of the bed, incapable of remembering who these people were. 

The first occasion when his quiet times at the library were disturbed, came abruptly. As Jaebeom collected new books off the shelves, the demon walked in with an annoyed expression on his face and plopped down on the only seat in front of the table, where Jaebeom spent more time sleeping than in his bed nowadays. Legs neatly crossed, he started to massage his temple and said with a sigh:

“Darling, as long as I could have, I let you rest and do whatever you want but it’s time you get back into the game. I am busy and I’d rather entrust you with some delicate matters than most of my current crew so put those nasty old books down and walk with me.”

Without waiting for an answer, Wooseok stood up and strode out of the room, his deep red velvet coat catching onto the wind caused by the movement of his arms. Jaebeom almost had to run to catch up. 

“But what are you talking about? What could I possibly be good for here? For you?” he inquired hesitantly. 

“I feel like you have natural talent, don’t worry” came the statement while winking encouragingly. 

“Why would you trust me instead of ‘your crew’ as you said? Also, where are they? I haven’t seen a soul since I arrived here!”

“Well, souls you should not look for around here!" The remark was paired with deep laugh echoing down the massive walls. “I kind of kept it a secret that you are here because I didn’t want others to influence you, so to say. This will probably not change just for a little while longer, until I make sure you are committed to your new job.”

They reached a so far unexplored part of the castle, the east wing where Jaebeom was restricted from until now. His mouth hung open by the change of scenery. There was significantly more furniture here, it almost could have looked like an office, although that concept seemed too foreign for these old bricks. His escort sat down at a desk that was filled with old parchment papers, fancy black ink running across the pages.

“Ah, here it is!” claimed the creature after shuffling through most of the written notes. “There is someone you will need to talk to. He made a deal a few years back with one of our crossroad demons and failed to hold up his end of the bargain. I need you to go back to Earth and give him a little nudge in the right direction. Frighten him a little, remind him of his responsibilities. He needs to get his shit together or there will be consequences.”

“What, you want me to play the tough guy? I haven’t the slightest clue how to pull this off! What are you expecting of me? Go there and threaten to kill him or what?”

“No, killing would mean letting him get off easy. Offer him endless suffering instead. Ahhh, this is getting tiresome. Just go there and handle this for me. You will get back into character in no time, don’t you worry.”

“Back into character? What is that supposed to mean?”

“Never mind. Look, I know it may take some time to realize what you are capable of, this is why I think that this assignment will jump start that part of you. I am giving you a favor now, you should appreciate it. I wasn’t going to grant you this, but I have no one else to send. You liked being on Earth anyway. I detest that place, crowded and noisy ehh…” With a few swings of his finger, he opened up a portal close to the stairs and pointed towards it. “Take this paper. It contains every information you’ll need. I am dropping you off just a block away from the warehouse. When you step out, take the first right onto the street and look for the sign ‘Kim Namjoon Logistics’” 

“You really are giving me no choice, are you?”

“That’s not how I run my business.” With that, he shoved the writing into the speechless boy’s hand, turned him around and gave a motivational push towards the flickering dimension gate.

Jaebeom looked back over his shoulders, though he was sure he had no say in the matter and was afraid to go against his capturer anyway. A plus side would be the change in scenery after such a long time. He turned back towards the gate, holding onto the sheet in his slightly trembling grasp and then walked into the gleaming runes. One leg over the edge of the gate, panic filled his conscious:

“Wait! What do I do if I’m done?”

"Oh, yeah! Take this key and turn it in any door lock. Once you open the door, the portal manifesting in there will bring you back. Have fun!” With a snap of his finger, the entryway closed as Jaebeom stumbled across onto dirty concrete.

Unsure what to expect once he was standing in an empty alleyway filled with garbage cans, he inspected what he held in his hand.

**_Report_ **

**_Written on: 18.09.2019_ **

**_By: Azazel_ **

**_Subject: Kim Namjoon_ **

**_Details: 3 months ago this human asked us to help start-up his business successfully, in return, he was supposed to smuggle ingredients for us. He failed to deliver the last two batch. Look into it why and stress how much he should not go against our arrangement, otherwise..._ **

**_Task assigned to: Im Jaebeom_ **

*Chapter 5*

Jinyoung was buried with the study books and notes on his desk, rubbing blue ink off the ball of his thumb because the pen he used didn’t dry as fast as his hand moved across the pages. The sun was still shining through the curtain, beams spraying across half of the room, bouncing back from the bookshelves and the tall lamp placed there for night time. Everybody who knew Jinyoung was aware that sometimes he stayed up until dawn to finish with his researches even if it meant he would be making breakfast for the boys too tired to even check if it was salty enough. He tried to use this quiet afternoon to catch up on photography lessons he had to skip to be with the others. He was scratching his head questioningly at one of the illustrations when a knock interrupted his train of thoughts. Jinyoung stretched and spread the door wide to see who it was.

“Hi Jinyoung, do you have some time for me?”

“Sure, Jacks. Come in.” The crispy sheets rubbed against the Adidas sweatpants as the Chinese boy got comfy on the bed. “Is everything okay?”

“I know how deeply concerned you are with all of our well beings and that managing us takes more of your time away from yourself than you care to admit…”

“Seunie, you don’t have to worry…”

“Let me just finish this. So you know I still go to therapy.”

“Yes.”

“We not only talk about me, I also share some thoughts on the team as well because you are all a part of who I am. The psychologist usually listens to me and stirs my thoughts in the right direction. In the last few weeks the others were having more trouble coping with everything, you know, and I was debating things that could help us be more relaxed and balanced. It could potentially improve our mood swings and give us something to look forward to.” He took a deep breath and blurted the suggestion out. “I think we should consider getting a puppy.”

“You just said we can hardly take care of ourselves, I don’t see how bringing another living being into this situation would make things better.”

“Just think about it, the puppy is cute. It would make us go on walks, it would have to be played with and fed. Tending to these things would give us purpose and throw us off this bad curve we are on. We can set up a schedule, that alone would take some time to get used to. They can detect changes in the owner's mood and how could you be mad at something so furry and innocent?”

“Okay, you convinced me. But we have to discuss it with the others. This is a big responsibility. Everybody has to take part in it.”

Of course, everybody agreed and soon they were on the internet, looking for suitable candidates. Mark was sitting in front of the keyboard, slim fingers clicking the mouse to open a new tab for all the pictures the boys selected speaking over each other excitedly. Once they had finished the first round, they read all of the profiles, they narrowed it down to two dogs. One of them was a boy with light brown harsh coat, posing a cute little mustache, the other was the opposite gender, snow-white with soft long fur, perky ears and tiny feet.

“They both are super cute, I don’t know which one we should get.” Jackson cupped his own face and his eyes were jumping between the two profile pictures rapidly.

“Fine, let’s just read the description one more time, but we really have to make a decision otherwise we might run out of time to book any of them. _‘Hi, my name is Coco. I’m a princess waiting to be spoiled. I am playful and energetic, I come with a fun personality, you will never get bored with me by your side. Please take me on many walks and let’s be best friends forever.’_

I think this sounds just right for our personalities and demand.”

“Yes, she also looks so pretty. I would give her many baths to keep her fur nice and clean” dreamed Youngjae with sparkling eyes.

“Also we could buy them little clothes for cold weather. She would look so cute in those fluffy jackets. Just imagine!” topped Yugyeom the train of thoughts.

Jinyoung clapped happily. “Well, I guess it’s settled then. I’m calling the number and reserving her right now.” He stepped out of the room to make the call and he returned with a huge smile on his face. “Get dressed, all of you. We are going to pick up our new family member.”

*Chapter 6*

As the demon said, the walk was brief, but Jaebeom took his time looking around. It was rush hour in town and books being his only companion for a while, the number of people was a bit overwhelming at first. It must have been the end of a workday, swarms of suited people crossed his path, looking for a dinner place nearby. The smell of barbequed meat lingered everywhere, mixed with ground coffee beans from fancy cafes and exhaust fume escaping from the cars waiting at the red light. Sidewalk lamps and store signs buzzed into life as the sun made its way down the horizon, chatting teenagers passed by showing the latest trendy video clips to each other on their phone. A couple was sitting at the next corner, sipping on their iced americano while preparing a shopping list for the family chuseok. That meant that it was late September.

The weather was still holding up pretty nice, the leaves on the trees hardly started to change color. It was a happy time to be around, and Jaebeom sure enjoyed being out in the open. Thoughts like ‘ _I wish I had some money to buy a strawberry milk’_ or _‘I wonder what would happen if I just took a walk in the park and didn’t go back right away’_ crossed his mind but by the time he could have acted upon those desires, he reached the designated signboard. 

The big sliding door where trucks could load up was slightly open but he didn’t see anyone at the platform. He stepped inside and his eyes needed adjustment because the big windows were tinted a light grey and there was a tremendous amount of dust and spider webs covering them also. It gave a slightly mysterious feeling to the whole place. Scaffoldings and wooden crates were set up organized throughout the large open space, someone who didn’t know the systematization could easily get lost between the supply crates. Muffled noises came from behind the fourth-fifth row of boxed up equipment, this way Jaebeom was able to find his new point of interest. Getting closer, the noises could be made out easier. Jaebeom halted at the corner now that an agonizing groan was absorbed by the cardboard boxes around him. He cautiously peeked out from behind a man-sized light brown colored box, being careful not to get noticed yet.

There was a small clearing at the other side, two men were standing in a guarding position, while one man was standing in front of a chair. He was wearing grey checkered suit trousers and a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, the top two buttons unfastened. The expensive white material was dotted with some dark red marks on the lower chest area, possibly coming from the roughed up face of a person who has seen better days. The knuckles of the standing man were reddened as he lifted his hand to wipe out a blond strand of hair itching his almond eye. His posture and the way he stood with legs slightly apart gave him such authority, you could easily guess he was the big boss.

“I asked, why have you decided not to contact me when you knew you couldn’t obtain the ingredient I sent you for. Is this such a hard question to answer?” The beaten person with swollen lips shook his head but remained silent. “Then tell me, how come I had to stain my Armani shirt with your filthy blood instead of delivering something to a very powerful buyer that could be knocking on my door any minute now?”

“I.. told.. you already…” came the weak answer. “By the time I got there, the piece was gone. Allegedly someone before me picked it up, claiming that he is me. He even had a fake ID. They gave me the video recording but the guy knew what he was doing because his face was not captured during the whole transaction. I could try to find out who he was if you…”

“Yes, well it’s a bit late for that, don’t you think? He would be long gone or sold the artifact on the black market to someone from America who doesn’t even know it’s full potential. Now I have to get one from a different distributor and that takes time. Who will pay for that extra time, cause it’s sure as hell it ain’t gonna be me.”

“Speaking of hell…” Jaebeom chose this moment fitting to step into sight.

“Ah, there you go… What did I tell you just now? They already sent someone on my neck! As you can see,” signaled Namjoon with theatrical gestures towards the beaten guy “I’m handling my part. You can tell your boss that it will take a few more days until I can send someone competent to deliver this errand. I know he can grow quite impatient when he doesn’t get what he wants, but the item he asked for is extremely hard to find so I’m sure he will understand a slight delay. Also, it’s hard to find devoted workforce nowadays." He gave one last kick to the apparently not devoted employee. "Why don’t you come to my private office, I’d like to discuss something now that you are here.”

Namjoon looked at the fellow suited people standing by the wall and told them to take care of this mess, whatever that meant… 

Their path led through the big depot, wooden pallets spread out on the floor, huge brown boxes stacked neatly together. The metallic scaffold reached two-story-high to be able to hold whatever stock this company was shipping out. Maybe it was furniture, maybe something illegal. Jaebeom shrugged, it wasn’t his business. The office was up the stairs, hidden behind an elegant, dark wooden door. The smell of expensive cigar hit his nose as he stepped inside.

Namjoon closed the distance between them and locked Jaebeom in a tight grip.

“Jaebeom, what are you doing here, my friend? Last time we spoke, you said you finally figured out a way to get rid of that bastard!”

Jaebeom pushed the man away in surprise.

“Do we know each other?”

“Know each other? You are the one who got me this deal with the demon. Well, unofficially as you were not supposed to have human friends after you decided to change your ‘lifestyle’ that is.” The confusion on Jaebeom’s face made him take a step back. ”Wait… Are you saying you don’t remember me?”

“I’m truly sorry. I just came back here. I only remember the last few months spent on the other side. How much do you exactly know about me?”

“Clearly, Wooseok didn’t know that we knew each other this well or he would have never sent you back. Sit down, let me pour you a drink. This is going to take a while.”

First, he elaborated on their relationship by telling his friend how they met one day after school. Both of them were so poor, they watched other children go into 7-eleven buying candy and soft drinks while their stomach rumbled empty. Then and there they swore they will make a better life for themselves and their families.

Life wasn’t gracious with them, no matter how diligently they did all they could. Polishing shoes for rich people; going around looking for items other people threw in the trash because they had no need of them anymore and sell it on the street; making small drawings hoping the adults would take pity on them and pay a few cents. All of their efforts resulted in them being caught, the little money they made taken from them and in the worst cases they even got beat up.

This went on pretty much until Jaebeom’s mother got killed. Then Jaebeom took the deal with Wooseok and his life changed. Namjoon wasn’t sure it has gotten any better but they were true friends and those kinds stick together through thick and thin. He still met with Jaebeom occasionally, whenever the other had time in between assignments. He didn’t know how but Jaebeom always made sure he had enough money or enough to eat or supplied him with things he remotely mentioned throughout their conversations.

For Jaebeom, Namjoon meant the only anchor to emotions until Jinyoung and the rest of the boys came along. He wanted to make sure he stayed true to the pact they made back then, so he collected things during his working hours to give to Namjoon later. The people he took it from won’t need it anyway... 

When Joon came to him asking to be put in contact with a demon, Jaebeom learning from his own mistakes tried to talk Namjoon out of it but when that wasn’t working, he chose to advise how to do things right. They talked long hours on what Namjoon would offer in exchange for his deal and the best solution seemed to be a continuous offering instead of giving something significantly bigger just to bind the pact. Therefore the determined boy’s encounter turned out pretty well and he vowed to supply the demon with whatever it wanted in exchange for the thriving of his company.

After spending a good bottle of whiskey on reminiscing on their past, he told Jaebeom all he knew about the group. Jaebeom fortunately liked talking about them so there were quite a few blank spots Namjoon could fill in for him. From his dreams, he also was able to recall each of their faces by their names and attach feelings to each individual. It was rudimental but still much more than he had before.

He was uncertain of how to continue after what he heard from Namjoon. He needed to regroup and debate on how to go on. Contemplating where to go, he decided to use the key Wooseok gave him and returned to the castle. 

*Chapter 7*

Rushing straight into his room, Jaebeom tried to recite everything he learned.

He was living with six other boys in the past year, trying to convince Wooseok to end his contract. He'd done more than enough dirty deeds while taking orders from him and Jaebeom was ready to settle down. He found his place among these boys (Mark, Jackson, Youngjae, Bambam and oh what was the youngest name again? Yug.. Yugyeom, right!) He also found love, the kind that one knows will last forever. His Jinyoung, who he had dreamt about. He was ready to become human again, but it was taken from him, damn, his whole life was taken from him.

He remembered how he mourned his fragile mother when she got killed, how he felt anger and frustration, being powerless while the killer roamed free of charges. The faithful decision he made to become a creature of the dark in order to get justice, and the emptiness he felt after cruelly putting an end to the killer's life. After that, he didn't even think he deserved to live, nothing on Earth mattered anymore. He lived his days dully, each moment hazy amongst demons, who had zero boundaries, no regret in their actions. 

Going back to Earth five years after his mother's death changed everything. It was just another assignment, just another human that had to be handled. Taking him out would have been an easy mission. It wasn’t. 

The person was ordering coffee for five other boys, knowing what they liked by heart. He even made sure the barista put little drawings on each cup. A moon and a strawberry on the two iced americanos, a flower on the iced choco, a snake on the vanilla latte and a bunny on the cappuccino. As he listed all these things, he had a loving smile on his face and was immensely polite too. The type you know is everybody’s favorite - teachers, parents, girls. He bowed and thanked the seller for being patient with his order and was on his way outside when one of the cups dangerously slipped from the cardboard holder. Before Jaebeom could stop himself, he reached out and saved the drink from spilling on the granite floor. 

"Wow, thank you! You have sharp reflexes! You saved my life, I am already late!" 

He had no idea… 

Jaebeom followed the younger boy until he reached an eleven-story office building. It was silver chrome with dozens of glasses reflecting orange sunlight off of them. He was able to spy on him from a safe distance, amongst the garden’s green bushes.

Other boys gathered around the one with the coffee cups, swarming like flies until they each pulled out a cup, switching until they got the drawings right. Watching the scene from the outside looked chaotic, but the patient boy in the middle just laughed brightly on how much mess was made in three seconds’ time.

Jaebeom didn't even notice he was smiling, only when his cheek muscles became sore. When was the last time this happened, he couldn't even remember. 

"Is this what a family is like?" whispered Jaebeom under his breath as he hid behind a hefty bush. 

Hours passed, the half-demon on mission was bored. He searched his pockets for a cigarette, patting the material at his chest. The box was flat and used, only a few pieces left in it. The lighter wasn't in there. Damn, has he lost one more of them? Slightly annoyed, he snapped his fingers, a crimson spark jumped off of them igniting the dry tobacco. One deep inhale and the heat spread through the dried leaves, smoke rushing down his throat to fill his lungs, then gather in his mouth and escape through his nostrils.

The only thought stronger than memories that has been able to pull him back into his current body was:

_If he wanted to see his family once more, he had to come up with an escape plan. Again..._

*Chapter 8*

Jinyoung was in Jaebeom’s room for the third time this week. The shattered mirror left an empty spot on the wall, just as the absence of the older boy left his soul barren. Looking idly in front of him, Jinyoung inhaled sharply, closing his eyes painfully slow, then opened them again just to see the same dark surroundings as every day. You would think that he got used to it by now, but the constant agony didn’t let up. Not during daylight when the sun was high and the world hurried on mercilessly, neither during night time when most people were peacefully dreaming. Jinyoung didn’t have that privilege. It was ripped from his warm embrace, only a block of imaginary ice left in its place. Goosebumps formed on his skin as a reminder while he shivered unexpectedly.

Something was happening, a strange feeling crept up on his spine. Inhaling sharply, the young boy dropped near the edge of the bed, pushed on his knees by an invisible force.

His vision was blurred and by the time it cleared out, he noticed in surprise that he was not in Jaebeom’s room anymore. He was standing in a warehouse. He heard people speaking but he couldn’t make out the meaning as his ears felt like they are filled with water.

He shook his head and he heard the next sentence: ‘Speaking of hell…’

His heart thumped in his chest. This deep, raspy voice… He would have recognized it even in a crowded bar. There was someone else too: ‘Ah, there you go… What did I tell you just now?’

He couldn’t think of anything else, only to reach the people speaking behind the scaffolding. He meant to rush to the other side of the cardboard boxes but his steps didn’t seem to obey. He was confused and angry. He buried his face in his palm, nails digging into his forehead.

When he looked up again, he was standing in front of Jaebeom. 

‘I only remember the last few months spent on the other side.’ Jinyoung shook his head in disbelief. “ _How have you returned?”_ The recognition ran through his veins as burning lava. He observed the features inches away from him. The straight, deep brown hair brushed back from his forehead, the twin moles above his eyelid, the cupid’s bow-shaped upper lips, the cheeks he spent literal hours caressing and kissing… It was him. Jinyoung reached one hand towards the face he longed to touch more than anything but the vision faded away.

His knees felt the weight of his body again, his eyes snapped open immediately. Breathing heavily he looked at his outstretched arm, thinking: _“Is Jaebeom finally coming back to me?”_

From this occasion, he attempted to get into the same state every so often, tried everything to get another glimpse into the past or the future - who cares what it was as long as it worked - but nothing did.

All he could do was wait, which drove him crazy. He walked the streets cautiously, hoping to spot the familiar face in the supermarket or the library. Others asked him why his fingers were drumming on the table or why his leg was restless as if he was impatient over something. He just shook his head and said it was unintentional.

*Chapter 9*

After hours of tossing and turning in the bed, failing to sleep even for an hour, Jaebeom was on his feet at early light - if it can be considered as such since in the demon dimension there wasn’t anything like proper sunlight. He wished Namjoon could have shared the whereabouts of the boys but apparently Jaebeom didn’t tell him in case something happened and Namjoon might have had to give up that information in exchange for his life for example. The restless period was worth it though, at least he had some sort of a plan on how to approach the situation.

He practically ran to the east wing and as soon as he saw Wooseok at his table, he took a deep breath and just went for it.

“Hey, I really enjoyed doing this assignment. I was thinking maybe I could look at some older files to, you know, gain some insight on how things work around here. Just so that I could do a better job next time?” Leaning on the wooden desk as casually as he could, heart racing, he waited for the answer.

“Wow, look at you go! That’s more like it, Jaebeom.” Wooseok seemed busy with writing some data together, not even looking up from the reports covering the full surface of the table. If he would have, he may have seen Jaebeom sweating a fountain, trying not to be caught in the act. “There is a separate room for all the closed cases, behind that red curtain. Knock yourself out.” 

Jaebeom straightened his posture with a relieved expression on his face. “ _Here we go_ ”, he thought to himself, pulling said curtain aside. Since according to his memories, Wooseok had an assignment on Jinyoung, he should have some written evidence on either his whereabouts or just about him in general that could help start his investigation off.

But where to start? Countless bookshelves sagged beneath the heavy loads of files.

Hours went by looking for clues unsuccessfully but then the familiar name caught his attention. He swiftly leaned forward and scraped the stack of papers from the pile in front of him. On the front, it said Park Jinyoung.

“Jackpot” murmured Jaebeom under his breath as he turned the folder to its first page. Going through all the data, he wrote down the possible locations where he could look for him. Satisfied with the turn of events, he shoved the note deep in his pocket and organized everything back as it was. Going back into the main room he saw that the demon was still working on something. Getting confident about how his little plan was going so far, he made a proposition to him that would help him forward as well.

“I don’t know what you plan to do with Namjoon but if you want, I can pick up that precious thing you are after to make sure that nothing else goes sideways. I really would like to see this deal through in person.”

“Sure, why not. You are already familiar with the delicacy of the issue. I’d be calmer if I knew it was in your hand. I’ll let you know once he gets back to us. Shouldn’t take more than one or two days, I imagine.”

“Cool, thanks. If you don’t have anything for me, I’ll head back to my quarters then.”

“Yeah, see ya.”

More than two days passed and Jaebeom started to think that this was just a personal attack against his nerves which were stretched to the very limit of his patience. Maybe even beyond it just to test how long he would hold out until his mind starts to crumble under the pressure and delay. At the last-last minute then someone looked down on him and the awaited opportunity came along. He was asked to go back to Earth the next day.

There was no sleeping that night, he flipped every possible scenario through his tired brain. He only had this one chance to find Jinyoung. Visiting the office building, the cafe, then the park surrounding that area was the best bet he could come up with. It was a hopeless attempt but he had to give it a try.

*Chapter 10*

Jinyoung was walking through the park, surrounded by myriads of colors. He decided to take the longer route on his way to the grocery store, only carrying empty bags now. On his way back he would either take the subway or a taxi depending on how heavy the load would be. As the air was clear, he was enjoying the alone time, looking at the pretty shades and forms of the end of autumn's leaves. Some were still cascading down with irregular dance from the branches, others already fraying at the loss of water and sunlight under people's feet. Picking up some of the gorgeous half-dry leaves, stroking the bumpy veins on them with his delicate fingers, he stopped to wonder at the passing of time. Not so long ago these were all up on solemn trees, soaking up sunlight, wiggling as the breeze dashed through the crown. Now they are but to fade away, disappear into the past. How cruel but how default this circle of life was.

A shadowy figure was watching him from the distance, suddenly mesmerized by the beauty of the boy looking at the leaves silently across the meadow. Jaebeom praised his stubborn self for going around the park one last time before giving the search up.

Seeing Jinyoung standing there triggered Jaebeom’s brain, the memories came flooding back. He almost fainted right on spot, everything was just so much to process. He remembered the five boys he shared a home with and he remembered even more details about the times spent with Jinyoung. His sweet, protective Jinyoung. How could he have forgotten all those special moments?

Now he clearly remembered their last talk, before that fatal night.

“Why aren’t we discussing how to get rid of Wooseok together?” shouted Jinyoung as he was worked up already by Jaebeom’s foolishness.

“How could I drag you with me? I am bad, you have no idea what I’ve done for him! This… us… and the boys, it was just a hopeless dream. I don’t deserve any of this. I was so stupid to think I can turn things around.”

“Don’t you dare speak like you already gave up! You are a good person, I know you. I love you. How do you expect me to just let it go?! Why don’t you cherish your life at all?” Teardrops formed at the corner of Jinyoung’s eyes.

“You are the only thing I ever did right in my life! I just can’t bear the thought of you getting anywhere near that monster and getting hurt in the process.”

“You feel entitled to save everyone, but who saves you?” As Jinyoung blinked, the salty beads coursed down his cheek, some getting caught up on the curve of his lips.

Jaebeom wiped Jinyoung’s cheek softly. “Please, trust me Nyoungie. I planned everything well, it’s going to be all okay”.

It wasn’t.

But that reminiscence didn’t matter anymore. There he was in front of him, skin white as ivory, hazelnut hair caught by the wind, plump lips partly open in surprise and eyes blinking rapidly as if he couldn't believe what he saw and wanted to flick the mirage away. His other half, his compass, the one who he treasures more than his own life. 

They were just standing there, looking into each other’s eyes. One not believing what he is seeing, the other not knowing what words would be suitable for this occasion. In the end, Jinyoung was the one who ran towards Jaebeom and wrapped him in the tightest hug imaginable. Hours could have passed without them letting go. 

“Ji... Jinyoung... you are choking me. I can’t breathe.” This was more an ice breaker than an actual request as Jaebeom was also dead-locking him into the embrace. “You know we have to let go eventually, right?”

Jaebeom felt a huge slap on his shoulder blade, then Jinyoung peeled himself off and looked teary-eyed at the taller boy. “How can you say something like that! I won’t let you go ever again!”

“Jinyoungie, you know that’s not how I meant it. It’s good to see you again.”

“Stop or I won’t be able to stop crying. How on Earth did you find me?”

“I pulled a little trick and here I am. It’s not a very intriguing story. Where were you going?”

“Can you be any more casual than this, seriously!”

“Well, to be honest, I still don’t remember everything that happened between us, but I have some understanding of our ‘relationship’.”

“Oh, I… I’m sorry. I’m glad I didn’t kiss you just now then. It would have been awkward.” Jinyoung fiddled with the hem of his coat in embarrassment.

“Don’t worry, looking at you in the middle of this beautiful park triggered more memories and I can for sure testify, I still have those feelings. They are just a bit rusty and asleep.”

“Aha” was all Jinyoung mumbled with open mouth.

“Close your mouth silly, you look like a fish. Listen, can we go somewhere more secluded? I’m not exactly allowed to be here…”

“Oh, yes! Sorry. I’m just... I was just... I still can’t believe you are here.”

“It’s okay. Let’s work on making this permanent, shall we?”

*Chapter 11*

Bambam was looking at the wall while two other boys were balancing on chairs, holding a big ‘Fighting’ sign up with shaky hands after spending the last 3 minutes trying to find the perfect angle according to Bam.

“Do you think that’s straight? Yugyeom, can you lower your side? Jackson, can you go a little higher?”

“What did you expect when you literally asked the tallest and shortest person to evenly hang this up here?” groaned Jackson in complaint mode while he was trying to reach further up on tiptoes.

“If I fall, you will have some explaining to do to our management.” Yugyeom added half-squatting to get lower in the chair.

“If you fall, an earthquake will be reported so try not to.”

“Ya!” Yugyeom tried to swing a hand at Bambam’s smug face which resulted in him almost really falling off and taking the banner with him as well.

“Guys, how long does it take to put two stripes of sellotape up?” peaked Youngjae into the room. He lifted his paint-covered hand that still had the brush in it. “I’m almost done with the custom Jinyoung sign while you are bickering over there. It doesn’t have to be perfect, ya know, bro.”

“He is right, it just has to come from our heart.” agreed Mark, who was wearing an apron and had a cookie tray in his hand.

“Damn that smells so good!” Mark had to slap Jackson’s hand away before he could snatch a piece.

“Be careful! It’s still hot! Also, it’s for later so you have to wait.” Jackson produced the biggest pout he could manage and used his puppy eyes but Mark was ruthless and went to set the cookies to cool down on the counter.

“What time is it? How much do we have until he returns?” Jackson looked so funny, still standing on the plastic chair with hands on his waistline, blowing a misbehaving strand of hair out of his eyes.

“Honestly, I thought he would be back by now. He only went to the grocery store. Though I don’t mind if he is taking his time, because as it seems, five of us can’t even put together the smallest, least expensive party.”

“Okay, okay, stop freaking out. I know you want everything to be perfect but the main thing is that we are doing this together.” Jackson reached for Mark, who stepped closer and because of so much height difference was able to bury his face in the comforting boy’s stomach. “Hmp fhm nf.”

“You know, we might understand what you have to say if you peeled yourself from your significant other’s belly button.” Bam just wasn’t having any of it today.

Mark looked like he was ready for murder but after considering the years in prison, he only stated: “I said, I’ll go get the confetti.”

“Okay, Yugyeom and I will blow up some balloons and I bet Bambam can be just as bossy about where we hang those as well.” You can always count on Youngjae to get revenge on others.

“You see, everybody adds something to the team.” This was the last comment from Bambam before everybody jumped on him the same second.

They collapsed in a pile on top of each other, limbs entangled, lungs hurting from laughter. And this was also the moment when the door lock beeped and a perplexed Jinyoung entered the hallway.

“What are you up to again? Can’t I leave you alone for an hour?”

“Look, we made you a little surprise!” emerged Mark with his hands pointing towards all they made.

“Surpriseee!!!” echoed everyone scrambling to their feet, hairs all messy, cheeks flushed with warmth.

“Awwww, babies. You really did all this for me? Come here, all of you” Jinyoung held his arms out, inviting everyone in for a group hug.

His heart was filled with joy since he saw Jaebeom again and was so moved by the actions of his loved ones. Looking around them, he tried to memorize their features, their genuine smiles, wanting to remember this moment forever. He took a deep breath while his emotions were streaking down his face in liquid form.

Mark felt the wetness spreading on his shoulder through his t-shirt and whispered into Jinyoung’s ears. “It’s okay Jinyoung. You are always so strong, let us be strong for you now.” 

Nobody suspected that these tears were happy for once.

*Chapter 12*

Back at the cafe he and Jaebeom had a quick but heated conversation as Jaebeom was short on time and Jinyoung wasn’t thrilled by his plan.

“So here is what I’m going to do. I’ll choose a spot to meet up with him, saying there is a problem with the item I was supposed to collect today and when he comes, I’ll kill him.”

“Kill him?" Jinyoung lowered his voice cautiously. "But how? You don’t even have the slightest idea how to!”

“I have to try. I can’t spend another minute there.”

“You didn’t tell me your whole plan but it was related to destroying something of Wooseok’s so that he would lose his powers maybe? I wish you would have told me everything back then. But I know it is not a good idea to go against him on your own.” 

“Please don’t start on this again.” Jaebeom gripped Jinyoung’s hand and massaged the back of it with his thumb to calm both of their nerves. “I’m not going to reveal that we are in contact again. He could use that against me. No way.” 

“But Jaebeom...” Jinyoung intertwined their fingers and squeezed in hopes of giving more weight to his words.

“No, seriously. This is something I need to do alone. It has to happen tonight, otherwise I don’t know when I would have a similar chance to confront him outside of the demon dimension.”

“Like that worked out well last time…” Jinyoung was rightfully worried. He knew Jaebeom means the best and would do anything to protect him but unfortunately, that meant his judgment could get clouded by his feelings in the heat of the moment and that would be dangerous.

“I don’t think I have a chance. It’s now or never. If I’m done I’ll meet you at the apartment and we can explain everything to the boys.”

“Just please be very careful. I couldn’t bear losing you again.” Jinyoung didn’t want to argue any longer, he knew Jaebeom was way too overprotective out of love but there was no way he was staying out of it this time.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes and hugged once more tightly at the entrance before bidding farewell for the rest of the day.

*Chapter 13*

The bridge was nearly empty at this hour. Most people were already home with their families, watching the news and having dinner together. This boy, however, had to be here to get his family back for good. The jacket he wore wasn’t thick enough to protect him from the wind bringing cold air with its approach. Dark clouds were making their way towards him on the horizon, though he was just looking blindly into the unknown, hoping he succeeds. The ‘quiet before the storm’ expression seemed to gain a new meaning in his life.

He felt the hair tickle on his forearm. He noticed this tended to happen when supernatural powers were being used nearby and indeed, Wooseok appeared, standing a few steps away, looking in the same direction as well.

“What is going on Jaebeom? I spoke with Namjoon just now and he said you didn’t even go to him. Yet to me, you said there is an urgent problem. So what is your problem?”

“My problem is YOU.” started Jaebeom quietly. His voice was almost carried away by the wind, unheard. “It all started with you. How you used a young boy’s rage to your advantage, how I killed just because you commanded it. The way you still treat me, the way you wanted to leave me oblivious to my past. I remember much of it now, you know…”

“Oh come on. Don’t act like you didn’t want it. You were the one who convinced me, remember?”

“Still, you had no right to be the judge of that! You turned me into a monster like you!”

“What can I do? I grew quite fond of you over the years.”

“It ends now. You’re going to let me walk away this time.”

“And why would I let you do that?”

“Because I’ll kill you if you don’t.”

“Oh, you are hurting my feelings. All I ever did was give you what you wanted.”

“Enough with your charming remarks. You only think of yourself, you are cruel and relentless. You can not fool me any longer.” Jaebeom pulled out a gun from under his coat and aimed it at Wooseok. Without any hesitation he pulled the trigger repeatedly, hitting the demon in the chest each time. When the gun clicked empty, the demon was still standing in front of him. 

Wooseok didn’t even flinch at the bullets ripping through his flesh. In a blink of an eye, he was in front of Jaebeom, grabbing him by the neck. Jaebeom was struggling to breathe, his toes hardly swiped the asphalt beneath him. He clung to the strong hand holding him and tried to peel the forceful fingers away. His attempt was unsuccessful, only resulted in the grip becoming even tighter. His eyes never felt such pressure before, they burned as his vision became blurry. His lungs wrestled against his crushed windpipe, but other than a gurgling sound, no relief came. This was the end, he was going to die this time. The less air entered his lungs, the more panicked he was. As a last resort, his feet started kicking. Wriggling in the air, there was nothing else to be done. He started to feel numbness finally setting in, he either closed his eyes or couldn’t see anymore, he didn’t know. Couldn’t even think anymore, just accepted that there is no way out of here.

A great force tore Wooseok away just before Jaebeom would have fainted. He barely maintained his balance, massaging at his throbbing veins and watched the other two roll on the ground a little further. Wait a minute…

“Ji… Jinyoung? What are you doing here?” Jaebeom ran towards the boy to help him up. There was an open wound on the left side of his chin, blood already gathering at the edges.

“Did you really think I will be stupid enough not to come after you, again? Ouch!” he nearly shoved Jaebeom away, because the arm he grabbed hurt so much.

“I think it’s broken…”

“It will be fine, just don’t touch it please.”

“Well, well, well. What have we here? How have you been, Jinyoung?” Wooseok also stood up in the meantime and was patting down his expensive burgundy coat to remove some dust.

Jinyoung looked back at him with disgust. “I’d say it’s nice to finally meet you, but since you want me dead from day one, I’d rather wish you would be gone.”

“I’m not even surprised that you’re here. He thought I was that stupid but I saw right through him. I was a little annoyed when I checked what Jaebeom rummaged through after he not so elegantly waltzed into my office asking to see old files and saw he found your file among all the junk lying around there. I mean, of course he would… I just knew you’d show up at some point. ”

“You can’t keep us apart forever, we always find a way back. Stay away from us and move on to other puppets you can play with.”

“Now, we don’t have to be this rude with each other. I thought you were the more reasonable one.”

“None of us deals well with filth.”

The rain finally caught up to them, it came down pouring so fast, the ground wasn’t able to absorb it. The giant drops made a thumping sound on the metallic surfaces, each of them a solid heartbeat. All three of them stood silently, mist lifting from the ground as some of the water started to evaporate. Fog started to gather around their feet, sluggishly drifting to roll down the edge of the bridge.

What to do now? Clearly, the gun didn’t work and they were far from strong enough to take down the demon on their own. Jaebeom’s gears kicked in, weighing different options. Running away seemed impossible, confronting Wooseok too was a suicidal decision. He had to protect Jinyoung. How on Earth did he get here anyway?

“How did you find me? I didn’t even tell you where I’d meet Wooseok?”

“You still don’t understand, do you?” He stood up, clothes drenched in rain, majestic like a celestial being. Wet pearls stuck in his dense lashes sparkling as he turned around. Jaebeom’s chin dropped in awe as the person before him released his ivory-white wings, night city lights mixed in the drops sliding down the elegant feathers, merging with the puddle beneath his feet.

He didn’t know how long they stood in silence but finally, the angel whispered clenching his wrist so hard, his nails almost drew blood.

“I was the one sending your memories back, our memories... We were sent here on Earth to do our job. Me looking after the boys, you to take me out. But you saw something in me and we fell for each other soon after you met the boys. Living together were the best days of my life.” Jinyoung struggled to swallow his tears back. “It was meant to be the moment we first touched. We were in love and then you decided you wanted to become human again. You said I shouldn’t get involved in it. And then you were gone in a flash. You left me here all alone with them, knowing you would never return! They mourned you for months! They were heartbroken and all I could do was to look after them while my sorrow was the deepest.” 

The angel hid his face for he was not able to control his feelings anymore. He broke down in tears, shoulders limp and shaking from the impact of his sobs. The edge of the wings scraped the asphalt and became muddy, giving an ombre tint to them. He couldn’t help it, finally being able to voice his unspoken suffering, his mind went to the night he thought Jaebeom was dead. His walls came down, projecting the events from the past to Jaebeom.

Jinyoung was standing at the bank of the river. He rushed there as soon as he received the phone call. He was scanning the water anxiously but to no prevail. He left the sirens and spinning blue-red lights and stormed into his brother’s office in Heaven.

“You have to save him! You have to bring him back! I was with Mark the whole time. I had to absorb some of his pain to lessen the impact of his leg trauma. Please, I only left Jaebeom for this once... I can’t bear this. It tears my soul apart.”

“Jinyoung, calm yourself. You are not at fault here. Looking after this many people at once is no easy assignment. Also, you know well enough that we can’t interfere with the natural lifespan of humans.”

“But he is not an ordinary human. He is half-demon. How is it even possible that he is d… that he d...?” Jinyoung just couldn’t say the word out loud.

“That he is dead? All I can say is, this is how it was supposed to happen and you have to accept it.”

“No… no, I won’t. Let me speak to someone else! There must be someone that would hear me out.”

“And everyone else would say the exact same thing. Just because you have fallen in love, you are not entitled to change the course of his life or death. If you keep up this behavior, you will be replaced as the guardian of those five humans on your watch. Do you want that?”

“Of course I don’t! You can’t take them away from me. You have taken enough already.”

Now Jinyoung knew why they refused. Because Jaebeom wasn’t dead.

The demon just laughed.

“Yeah, I couldn’t prevent this poor excuse of an angel to pour memories back into your wiped consciousness drop by drop, your connection was too strong even in my dimension. But I was able to hold back certain information to my advantage; I couldn’t let you realize what he really was. Somehow you still ended up here, crossing paths again. How is it that you two always end up together?”

“Because we belong together, you asshole! When will you finally comprehend that you have no say in this?”

“I knew your human side would show weakness at one point. Yet when your mother died and you came to me seeking revenge, I saw the rawness and hate boiling in you. I found you intriguing, but as soon as this feathery bastard showed up I knew I was going to lose you. This is why I set the accident up because I knew you would do anything to save those humans. This was my plan to keep you with me.”

“The accident… Yes… I remember everything now! You sent that wraith after us! You bastard, you selfish monster!”

A blinding light struck down from the swirling clouds above them. White as snow yet cruel as fire. Its aim was Wooseok. He screamed as the beam got in contact with his purple skin. The scales started to discolor on his left arm, turning brown at the edges. With his right hand, he grabbed the medallion around his neck. Was he protecting it?

Jaebeom’s head started to spin, he covered his eyes, swaying on his feet. There was one more thing he had to see and it was the most useful of all. He couldn’t believe it was right in front of his eyes all along. It was the medallion, always catching his sight, never really knowing why. His subconscious was sending the signals, it just took him time to understand the meaning. That golden vessel was the key to destroying the demon. That held all the blood oaths that sealed his deals, an invisible contract that could never be broken. Unless the medal got destroyed. Then everybody could be free!

“Jinyoung, the medal! We have to destroy the medal!” shouted Jaebeom in his direction.

They bolted towards the demon as fast as they could, stumbling and sliding around the puddles. Wooseok saw them hurtling towards him but was not ready to give up just yet. He took two steps back, momentarily regaining his posture. This time was enough for him to gather strength and disappear leaving with a loud pop in the air. With nothing to demolish, the light beam started to fade instantly.

“What the fuck was that?” cursed Jaebeom panting, grabbing his stinging side.

“I think they were my people, sending us help. But a gun, Beoma? What were you even thinking?”

“No, no, no. Hear me out. I bought it from hunters. They swore those were Devil’s trap bullets.”

“Devil’s trap bullets only TRAP the demon in the vessel he exhibits, it doesn’t kill him…”

“Oh… Maybe next time I’ll make sure to speak proper Japanese with the weapons dealer.”

Jinyoung rolled his eyes, he didn’t want to say it but he wondered how Jaebeom survived for this long. “What was that about the medallion anyway?”

“I’ll explain later, let’s get out of here first.” Finally, Jaebeom remembered everything. Including where his initial plan to end Wooseok went sideways. This meant he knew how to fix it. “Where can we go?”

“Where? Home, of course.” Jinyoung pulled his wings back and they left the bridge behind hurriedly.

*Chapter 14*

The castle rumbled with Wooseok’s angry shout. He swayed on his feet panting heavily, smoke evaporating from his skin. Bubbles started to form on his arm from the second-degree burn, hand still clutching the necklace. He pulled on it and the clasp gave, removing the jewelry from his neck. The medal glowed as he was moving it around inspectingly. The demon chuckled in relief.

“Those little bastards, they almost got me with that heavenly fire. The angels became cocky now that one of their soldiers is in love with my property. They will pay for their recklessness but first I’m going to destroy everything that Jaebeom loves. He will have no choice at the end but to come back to me.”

Knowing that his most precious belonging wasn't harmed, he stood up and went into the alchemy lab to prepare an ointment for his less lucky skin. Applying the solution stung the burnt parts so he forced his thoughts away. 

Thousands of years passed since he earned that medal by defeating the owner of it, yet he still remembered the day. He was a lesser demon back then, living in another demon dimension long destroyed by its population. It was already an unpleasant place to start with, hundreds of creatures roaming it and abusing its atmosphere. Dusty and filthy, he wanted out of there. There was this one demon whom he had eyes on. It always bragged about going to this place where trees grew as high as towers and human beings worshipped him. All he had to do was help out here and there, listen to their boring stories and make their miserable lives better.

Wooseok studied the routes the demon took, frequently visited the places it went and one night he stole the medallion that was fastened to the demon’s clothing as a pocket watch. Not even packing anything for himself, he opened up the portal to Earth and never looked back ever since.

It took some time to get used to this less polluted air (though humans were constantly working on making it worse) and there was also this annoying thing humans called feelings. How could they all be these whiny, little, miserable beings, constantly selfish, worried, jealous or complaining?

A few weeks after holding up in an empty barn, Wooseok gathered fellow demons stuck in this dimension and decided to create his pocket dimension where they could build a fort and return only when it was necessary.

Hundreds of years later, the business was thriving. Wooseok built such a network, he could easily stay in his home, toss paperwork around and order about his minions but he liked the thrill of new deals being made and he was intrigued by the stories he heard as well. Also, he would never let the medallion out of his sight. It was dangling around his massive neck and only got removed when the blood oath took place.

Somewhere around that time, he was summoned to Earth. When he manifested, he saw this youngling in front of him with raw hatred in his eye, fire eating at his soul. “What’s your name, boy?”

“I’m Im Jaebeom.” He didn’t seem frightened at all. He stood his ground, head held high, looking straight into Wooseok’s scary eyes.

Wooseok listened to his story and he did what he had never done before, made a special offer for a human. “Come with me and you can have what you came for.”

From then on Wooseok taught him his tricks, sent him on assignments and watched him grow into adulthood. He grew fond of the boy, hell he was the closest thing to a friend he ever considered. Of course, he would never say this out loud. Being friends with a human… How would the other demons react? His reputation was more important to preserve. Besides, he still liked pulling Jaebeom on a string no matter how many years passed. The business had to run. Having power over him was the feeling Wooseok was drunk on.

Looking back at it, maybe he should have treated Jaebeom better, but what difference did it make now? Demons didn’t do that, they had no feelings and they didn’t care about anything. If he wanted to spend his life with that irritating angel, then he should suffer.

The only question was, how.

*Chapter 15*

Standing at the front door, both boys struggled to take the last step forward. How were they going to explain _this_ to the boys? How much could they explain? Unable to even imagine their reaction, it was hard to muster enough will to make that final move through the doorstep. Jaebeom shook his body from head to toe to encourage himself however, Jinyoung grabbed his wrist as soon as he lifted his leg.

“Wait. I’ll go first. It would be too shocking for the boys if you just walked in. Can you please stay outside for a few more minutes?”

Jaebeom let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding and touched Jinyoung’s cheek with his free hand. He still trusted Jinyoung unconditionally. Jinyoung nodded, feeling the smooth skin of Jaebeom’s palm sliding up and down in the motion and attempted a comforting smile but anybody could tell how nervous he was. He opened the door and prepared for the most difficult conversation of his life. 

Without a proper plan, Jinyoung just gathered all the boys on the big couch going around the house, saying only the bare minimum. Jackson was the last one to join, he just came out of the shower when Jinyoung announced the family meeting.

“Do you know what this is about?” he asked.

“No, but Jinyoung is very creepy. Did you see him just walk around like a zombie? Is he sick?” pointed it out Youngjae while petting Coco who was soundly asleep in his lap.

“I don’t think so or at least he hasn’t talked about that with any of us” added Mark even more clueless than before.

Jinyoung walked back in with a big jug of hot tea and set it at the table. His expression was still the same, stuck deep in thought, eyes focused on something that was not visible for the rest of them. He lifted his sight at the group at last.

“Boys, thank you for gathering. I know we have been through many bad things in the past year and if there would be an easier way to do this, I would. There is something I haven’t told you yet and it’s going to test our friendship. I just want you to know that I love all of you with all my heart and nothing is going to change that.” Nobody heard Jinyoung stutter so much before, he was always calm and collected.

“Jinyoung, you are scaring us. You know you can tell us anything. We will work on it together, just like always.”

“I know, I know.” He exhaled sharply, gathering his strength. “We have a confession to make.” 

“We?” echoed all the boys shifting uneasily in the puppy pile.

This was the time for the big announcement. Jinyoung’s whole body was trembling, he was hardly able to push the doorknob down. Everyone looked curiously at the opening door. First, there was a pair of black shoes followed by dark blue jeans, a brown top and a black leather jacket with silver studs and chains on it. Jaebeom nervously pushed his soaked bangs out of his face and just stood there. Water dripped from his body all over the tiles. One minute passed, then two and then some more. He was afraid to move and he was afraid to speak. You could even hear a pin drop, the silence grew so big.

Coco stirred awake and was blinking towards the unfamiliar sent curiously. She walked towards the edge of the sofa to take a closer sniff and decided to jump down to investigate the stranger further. Suspiciously nearing the shoes, she moved her nose rapidly, tail standing stiff like a palm tree. Everybody was watching wordlessly as Jaebeom bent down and offered his hand for her to smell. Coco took her time, examining the long fingers, then she gave it a slow lick and started wagging her tail happily. She stood on her hind legs, front ones reaching up on Jaebeom’s shin, asking to be picked up. When she was held by his lean arms, she calmly started huffing with her tongue hanging cutely to the side.

Youngjae spoke first. “This is not possible. Tell me I’m dreaming.” He was rubbing his eyes.

“How is he here?” Yugyeom addressed Jinyoung first. When no answer came, he turned to Jaebeom. “Are you a ghost?”

Time unfroze eventually and Jaebeom stepped out of his shoes, walking closer to the boys to take a better look at them. “No, no. I’m really here. Gosh, I missed you all so much. You haven’t changed a bit.”

It felt like waking up from a bad dream. They all remembered their last day together vividly and now, standing in front of them, Jaebeom was complete, with all memories intact. Even if he could, he wouldn’t trade the horrible memory of the accident away now. He couldn’t bear the thought of all the others having to remember while he was free of the weight of that night.

They were taking a taxi ride home because the manager had to take Mark to the hospital. He injured himself doing his martial arts tricks while landing one jump, spraining his ankle. Jinyoung went with them for emotional support. Yugyeom won Jinyoung’s seat in Rock Paper Scissors so he occupied the passenger’s seat. Jaebeom was texting Jinyoung about the status of Mark’s leg from behind the driver. Youngjae was playing on his phone, Jackson sat in the middle, one arm over Youngjae, the other resting on Jaebeom’s leg. At the back, Bambam stretched in both seats, feeling like a king for not having to share the back with the tall Yugyeom. He always complained about how his knees hurt for sitting long hours like that.

There was one advantage of finishing the schedule late, peak traffic hours dissolved and the road was clear ahead. Rolling up towards the bridge, they had to slow down because one side was closed off with orange flashing lights and barricades.

“Why do they always have to do this after dusk?” snapped the taxi driver annoyed at the change of pace.

“So they don’t cause more jams during the day?” observed Youngjae, looking up from the phone.

“Yeah, that’s fair enough.” The driver approved of the blue-haired boy’s comment and was ashamed of his outburst in front of customers. “Hm... do you see that?”

There was a woman standing a few feet ahead. She was wrapped in the shadow from a beam that reached high into the bridge’s structure.

“This looks sketchy, just drive around her” leaned Jaebeom forward to assess the situation with a better view.

“She might need help” protested Yugyeom.

The chauffeur rolled his window down and advanced forward.

“I still don’t like this” stated Jaebeom, folding his arms in front of his chest as an objection.

The woman took a wobbly step forward, then another.

“This is just another level of creepy, I am telling you” joined in Bam from behind too.

“Good evening, uhm, do you need any help, lady?” The driver leaned out slightly to address the person stepping closer to them. The car almost came to a halt when the headlights shone on the approaching woman. She was a mess, her body was full of dark spots, the dress she wore was thorn and more discolored skin peeked through. Her black hair was in every direction, wet like she just came from a dip in the river. As she extended her fingers, long nails and black fingertips reached out towards the car.

“Okay, it’s time to get out of here. Step on the gas, please.” insisted Jaebeom, seeing the creature in full display. He knew what it was, but how did a wraith get here? There was no time. He was still just staring.

“Ya, I am not kidding. Move, now!” This request got through and the vehicle darted forward. What he didn’t anticipate was that the mysterious woman would jump in front of the car. The driver stirred the wheel in reflex, this sent the tires skidding and screeching on the uneven ground.

He lost control over the vehicle, the slimy surface prevented the tires from gripping and the breaks were of no use for the same reason. The car sped towards the balustrade, ripping it mercilessly. The whole car toppled over the bridge and hurtled towards the surging water below. Before they could react, the bumper made contact with the wavy surface, splashing water high in the air. Some of them were torn from their seats by the impact. The windshield shattered like a spider’s web but didn’t break out completely. Jackson was still wearing his seatbelt because as his body jerked forward earlier, it bent the metal clasp.

The driver was the first to get out as his window was already rolled down, helping Yugyeom out. They only had a few more seconds until the car flooded with the rumbling water. Youngjae moved forward next between the two seats, pulling Bambam with him. The current rushing in through the window propelled the second boy backward and Bam’s cardigan got stuck. Jaebeom ripped the material from behind and Bam swam out quickly. At this point the car was fully underwater, Jaebeom and Jackson were holding their last breath in. Jaebeom pushed himself off the seat with his legs and grabbed the door frame from inside. He turned back to see Jackson, who was still strapped in. Jaebeom returned for him and they struggled, twisted and yanked at the belt strap and at last it gave. Jaebeom shoved Jackson out the window in front of him and he reached the surface just before losing all his air. He used his arms to turn around, looking for Jaebeom.

But Jaebeom was nowhere, the lights of the car no longer visible either. He started to call the older boy’s name, the others joining in as they noticed he was missing. The realization came like a truck, ready to punch them in the chest. They could not reach him, couldn’t dive back down and it was too dark to see anything anyway. Making their way out, shivering on the shore, they managed to call the police. Even the professional divers couldn’t find his body, though they looked for hours. They assumed that the current carried his corpse further away and it would resurface at a different location later.

Worse than having to listen to the ambulance was telling Jinyoung what happened. Jackson also blamed himself for not getting out sooner or not making sure Jaebeom was with him. Mark was there beside him 24/7 in case he got the wrong ideas in his head. Each of them lost their grip on life, it was a miracle they pulled through.

As everybody was thinking about the same thing, they all shivered at the same time, looking up at Jaebeom’s figure.

“Why did you not come sooner? Why did you let us suffer for more than six months?”

“This is what we need to talk about.” Jaebeom sat down on the rug and Jinyoung poured the tea out into mugs, handing them over as Jaebeom explained everything that happened to him since he lost his memory. He stopped sometimes, looking at Jinyoung for approval about bringing him into the storyline. He nodded every time and held Jaebeom’s hand through the worst parts. 

“So you’re telling us that you are an angel and Jaebeom was able to survive the accident because he is a demon. Seriously... Nothing was ever alright in this household. I knew it! The next thing we’ll find out is that Mark is a fairy…”

“Bam, just shut up please.” came the resigning sigh from Jackson, massaging his temple to make sense of what he heard.

“Well, you know, this is a whole lot to process. I can’t even think of a single word that would explain what I’m feeling now. But, what I do know is that we have missed you, Jaebeom, and no matter where you were or who you are, you are still a part of our family and always will be. Right guys?” Mark - may he be the quietest of them all - always had a good way to express his love towards the others if the situation called for it.

Everybody nodded vigorously.

“And Jinyoung, you have been here with us all along, we know your heart. We would never turn against you.”

“Thank you.” Jinyoung shed a few tears while going through the story and watching the boys react, but now his face was lighter, stripped of concern and fear.

“Okay, but hold on. Do I understand correctly that a huge demon is after you guys?” Mark was asking the real questions this time. “Isn’t that dangerous? Can we help you somehow?”

“Absolutely not!” exclaimed Jinyoung rashly. “We are not putting you in any type of dangerous situation, there is no way!”

“I don’t really think you have a choice at this point. You can’t seriously expect us to stay on our asses while you go fight some big ass monster out there. We just got Jaebeom back. What’s the guarantee that he won’t disappear again?” Humming agreement sounds followed Yugyeom’s question.

“They are right, Jinyoung. I realize now that the whole thing went wrong because I insisted on solving everything on my own. But our strength lies in numbers and if we make a good plan, I’m sure we could once and for all end this.”

Jinyoung stayed silent for a while then he asked: “Are you sure this is what you all want? Anybody who doesn’t want to partake can just say now and nothing will be held against you.”

“Are you joking? I say, let’s go find that son of a bitch!”

“Bam!”

Jinyoung stood up, protecting Bam from all the hands reaching for his throat. “Okay guys, I think we had enough for today. Let’s go sleep and we can come up with a plan when our brains are working.”

“No luck for our Bambam then. Even if he sleeps there will be no more brain cells tomorrow.”

“Haha, you’re very funny, Youngjae.” Yugyeom nudged Bambam into the kitchen to clean up the mugs, Bambam sulking the whole way at the insult.

Even when he got upstairs, everybody could still hear Youngjae’s laugh shaking the walls. Mark and Jackson quietly retaliated into their shared room, leaving Jaebeom and Jinyoung at the top of the staircase.

“Uhm, we kept your old room clean in case you would like to use it. I couldn’t go back to our room so I moved into my old room at the end of the corridor.”

“I don’t think I’d like to stay alone tonight. Is that okay, Jinyoung-ah?”

“Oh, oh, sure. You can stay with me then?”

“Only if you don’t mind. I am fine with a mattress on the floor.”

“Don’t be silly. We can share my bed. It’s big enough. I’ll just go get pillows and a blanket for you. Go in, I’ll be right there with you.”

Jaebeom walked into the cozy space. A fairy light hung from the curtains, spreading dull light across the bedroom. Everything was neatly organized, as you’d expect from Jinyoung. Big bookshelves filled to the brim with colorful novels and self-care books. There was a wooden board, pinned with schedules for the boys and himself. Each piece of paper surrounded by photos taken in booths. Smiling and waving, everybody was included in this little activity. They dressed up and even used the silly filters for more added cuteness. On the desk, open books lay in every shape and form. He was always studying something. Jaebeom smiled at the thought. His Jinyoung was still the same person he left behind.

Jinyoung came in, hardly seeing above the big pillow and chunky blanket wrapped in his embrace. He put everything down on the bed and started putting on the covers.

“What do you think about tonight? The boys took our explanation surprisingly well. I’m still not sure that we should include them in the plan though.”

“I’m not sure either but we have to give them the benefit of the doubt. I was serious about involving them. It was my fault thinking back then that I alone would be enough. I should have listened to you. Can you please forgive me for that?”

Jinyoung stopped mid-move and shook his head in disbelief. “I have forgiven you the minute you walked up to me in the park. I am just glad we got a second chance. I am so so happy you are back, I missed you so so much.” Before Jaebeom knew, Jinyoung was already wrapping his arms around him. This hug was different from the one they shared in the park. Less clumsy, less foreign. It felt like home.

They were exhausted from all that happened today. After climbing into the inviting bed, their eyelids grew heavy while slowly whispering to each other about the medallion and ideas on how to stop Wooseok. They fell asleep holding each other’s hand for the first time in forever.

*Chapter 16*

Jaebeom and Jinyoung woke in each other’s arms. It seemed natural for their bodies to curve into each other but now that they were awake it still felt slightly unpracticed. They were suddenly alone after being apart for months, wide awake, relaxing warmth surrounding them. Their breaths gave them away, being nervous just for laying this close. Suddenly they felt vulnerable, searching each other’s eyes for confirmation. Jinyoung couldn’t hold back any longer, he grazed Jaebeom’s lips with his thumb. Running over the upper lip first, because he utterly loved the heart-shaped silhouette, then tended to the lower half just as eagerly. Jaebeom closed his eyes and leaned closer to the touches, Jinyoung sank onto his lips at a leisurely pace and placed tender kisses where his finger was before, moving along the lips, changing positions a few times. 

When he stopped, he lightly pressed his nose against the older boy’s and gently rubbed them together. Jaebeom could feel the smile on his face without even opening his eyes. He pulled Jinyoung back into a more heated kiss, giving a tiny lick to Jinyoung’s plump lips indicating his intentions. He only had to signal once, the younger hungrily opened up to the intrusion. There was hardly any place left between their bodies as hands started to explore each curve, every touch feeling like a flame licking at their skin.

There was a subtle but heavy knock on their door. They moved away from each other like frightened deer in the forest after hearing a gunshot. Taking a few deep breaths to calm themselves, they rolled on their backs and called ‘Yes’ almost at the same time.

Jackson opened the door and peeked in with half-covering his eyes.

“Sorry to disturb your morning routine but we came up with a plan and we could use your input on it. Sooo, see you down in five?“

“Wait, what?” raised his voice Jinyoung. “Why did you not wake us up?”

“We wanted to give you some time to you know… They sent me because I would be the least embarrassed if I walked in on you doing some kinky stuff.”

“Seunnaaa, we…”

“No need to explain. I would be the same if I and Mark would be separated for months. How are none of you naked though? Or have you already finished?”

“Gosh, that is none of your business! Get out!” To support his point, Jinyoung threw a soft pillow at him.

Once they were alone, Jinyoung complained further. “Who does he think he is, seriously…”

“Well, he wasn’t too far off from the truth Jinyoungie. A few more minutes and we would have been naked.” Jaebeom winked at him cheekily, tongue sticking out coyly.

“Uh, if you don’t stop with that attitude, I can’t promise I won’t jump on you very soon.”

“I want you too, baby. But we have a family and we need to take care of business first.” Jaebeom went and hugged his significant other, then placed a kiss on his forehead as a promise.

“Let’s go and find out what our family came up with before we all go extinct in the next day…”

So down they went giggling on the morbid joke because they both felt the weight this plan would have on their life in the near future.

Stepping into the kitchen, they smelled freshly brewed coffee and tasty food. They witnessed each boy hustling, arranging the plates, bringing food to the table, getting the milk from the fridge.

Jinyoung smiled. “I wish we would have more crisis situations like this! I don’t know when was the last time I saw all of you together like this in the kitchen.”

“We are celebrating Jaebeom’s return. It called for big gestures, but don’t get used to this!” teased Youngjae while he put chopsticks next to each plate.

“Okay, sit down everyone, here comes the bacon!” Mark arrived with a sizzling plate, filled with delicious meat.

The long table suddenly went silent as everyone stuffed their watering mouths. Humming approvals came from all directions and soon all scraps of food disappeared into the hungry stomachs. The coffee mugs chimed with spoons stirring sugar and milk inside. Getting comfortable in their seats, they discussed the plan in great detail over the roasted bean scented table and then went on to prepare for the execution.

*Chapter 17*

The blue-haired boy was standing in the living room, he looked around after moving the furniture off of the main rug. Drawing the summoning circle was easier than he thought, following the successful attempt at stealing the drawing Jaebeom put on paper. All he had to do was spray paint it on the floor while everyone was out, getting supplies. Finishing the last lines, he set the spray can aside and chanted the words written below the traces. The spray turned into incandescent signs that fluttered aglow. Wooseok seemed weary and battered, leaning his upper body on his knees in his massive throne-like chair. He looked up with hatred in his eyes.

“Guess what, Youngjae. I survived that little stunt your friends pulled on me.”

“You know my name?” shifted Youngjae from one leg to the other. He only saw these kinds of monsters in his video games.

“Of course. I know about all of you. Little, insignificant human beings who Jaebeom loves so much. I will never understand what he sees in you, honestly.” He grimaced, pulling his upper lip above the pointy teeth.

“Don’t work yourself up on it. You are a demon, you wouldn’t understand human feelings even if you tried very hard.”

“Aren’t you a smart one. Now, why did you summon me?” 

“I stole the summoning spell from Jaebeom. They plan to end you, but I wanted to see you for myself first. Is it true that you can grant wishes?”

Wooseok’s eyes sparkled in interest. “Think of it more like a deal. You get the thing your heart desires and I get something in return.”

“I was always the last one in our group. Everybody is special in some way and they all get attention. But not me. I want to become more famous. Can you help me with that?”

“Hmmm, what can you offer for me in return?”

“I will sabotage the other’s plan to take you out. I know the whole plan, I can make sure you don’t get hurt.”

“Tsk, I don’t think that would be enough. If we make a deal, I want you to betray Jaebeom. I want him back for good. I want him to suffer for eternity for trying to leave me for that wretched angel.”

“Deal,” said Youngjae without missing a heartbeat.

“You’re so quick to turn your back to the people who consider you their family. How is that, Youngjae?”

“Sometimes people have to think of their own benefit. I’m fed up with being the last all the time. I want my efforts to be noticed. I work just as hard as the others. It’s not fair that they take all the attention away.”

“Who knew you would be such a traitor, hah! I wish you would have come to me sooner. I think we will be just fine. I like your thinking. You are just as selfish as me.”

Youngjae grew annoyed by the things the demon said out loud. “What do I have to do to make the deal?” 

“I just need some of your blood on this medal.”

“Blood? How much blood?”

“Don’t worry, just cut your palm and a few drops will do.” Wooseok unfastened the medal from his neck and set it at the edge of the flashing traces. “You will have to erase a line so I can come out of the circle.”

“Do you think I’m that stupid? What’s the guarantee you won’t kill me the second those signs don’t hold you.”

“Okay, fair enough. Come, take the medal out then and hurry up. I have other clients for today.”

Youngjae pushed his hand through the force of the summoning spell and lifted the medal to his face. He studied the engraved signs and scores that run along its surface. All the blood gathered for the previous deals wobbled inside the container hidden behind the details. He set the golden jewelry down on the floor then lifted a knife he brought from the kitchen previously. The blade dully glinted the reflection of the ceiling lamp as it came down towards Youngjae’s hand. The object then passed his skin without causing an injury and scraped the uneven surface of the medal, causing a spark while it slid off to the side and ended its course prodding the wooden floor.

“What? That’s not what you supposed to do. Wait!”

“Now, boys!”

Everybody sprung into action. Running from all directions, they swarmed the room like a well-rehearsed military unit. Yugyeom cut the rope that kept the fishnet in place on the ceiling. They bought it in case the summoning circle doesn’t hold or something unforeseen happens. It was hardly a strong enough material, but at least it could slow the movement of the demon for valuable seconds.

Bambam held a sledgehammer tightly and took a swing, aiming all his force on the medal still on the floor. There were Enochian signs drilled into the wooden handle by Jinyoung, to give the hammer supernatural qualities. The tool bounced back so strongly that Bambam fell backward, Mark barely managing to hold his head up from smashing against the sturdy floor.

Jinyoung came forward and took the jewel into his hand, wrapping it neatly in his clutch. Light beamed through his finger cracks as he used his angelic powers to weaken the outer material. Some of it melted away but it took Jinyoung a great amount of stamina to get this far. He dropped on his knees and the medal rolled out of his loosened grip.

Jackson, using his sturdy thighs made in the years of fencing practice, stepped on the medal before it rolled into the circle and threw it at Jaebeom, who picked up the hammer Bam was wielding just before. As the outer shell was weakened, the next blow raptured the container and drops of blood trickled out of the crack. Wooseok sensed the disturbance it caused in his powers and screamed ‘Nooooooooo’ on top of his lungs.

“What do you think will happen to all the people that are still alive and made a deal with me? Would you want to ruin their lives, depriving them of the opportunity to make their situation better?”

Jaebeom stopped the hammer mid-air. Had they thought of something like this? Not really. Was it their position to decide the future of others? The answer was no to that one as well. Should they not do it? That wasn’t an option in his opinion. Not just because that would mean that he would be still bound to the demon but also it was all wrong. Using people even if they agreed to such conditions as Jaebeom did back then. Like him, many others had no choice, but using a demon was not natural, it went against being human, even if it meant being poor or losing someone you really love. He looked around questioningly and the others seemed to agree with him, as they looked at the medal and nodded deciding. 

One more powerful swing and the whole transparent container broke into pieces. The golden flakes of the destroyed medallion shimmered gracefully then disappeared as if never existed, the thousand drops of blood it held for centuries evaporated. Along with it went the demon, his desperate shout echoing on their eardrums a few seconds more.

“Do you feel any different, Jaebeom?” asked Jackson right away, turning the boy towards himself to take a good look.

“I don’t know. I don’t know if there is supposed to be a difference. But it is over, all his power and our bond was held by that medal and it’s gone now. Thanks to all of you.”

“It was a true teamwork! Wow, Youngjae, you should try acting some time soon. I almost believed everything you said!”

“Wasn’t that the whole point? To make the story believable?” Youngjae chuckled while patting Yugyeom on the back knowingly.

“Yes, but seriously! We must ask manager noona to sign you up for acting classes and you must go to auditions.” Jinyoung was all ready to give out an Oscar on the spot. “We are a little worried though. Those things you said…”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it. I know it’s none of your faults. I just wish I could show our fans how much I improved. To prove them I’m worth supporting.”

The next second, moved by the same feeling, all of the boys hauled up Youngjae and showered him with encouraging words, support and love.

“I am a bit sorry for Wooseok though. All he wanted was someone beside him that he could count on. It wasn’t his fault that the feeling wasn’t mutual. He wanted this so bad he didn’t even question handing the medal over to me.”

“Awww, our Youngjae feels lonely. Don’t worry, handsome. You will find someone when the time is right.” If you had trouble with your self-esteem, you could always count on Jackson.

“Wait, that’s not how I meant it... Ah, nevermind.”

“My back will hurt for weeks, ahhh. Thank you for catching me, Mark.”

“Don’t even mention, Bam. I’m glad I could get there in time. Who would clean all that watermelon juice off the carpet!” joked Mark tousling Bam’s hair playfully.

“Jinyoung, are you okay?”

“Sure, Jaebeom. I just need some recovery time. My powers were drained pretty much to zero.”

“We should celebrate! Let’s order chicken and beer! Who’s in?”

Everyone agreed in unison, Mark and Jinyoung went to order the meals while the others tidied the room.

After the food and drinks arrived, they spent time reciting tonight’s events and when they got bored of their heroic actions, they filled in Jaebeom on what happened with them while he was gone. The booze did its job and the boys laughed and enjoyed their time together. When the mood peaked, Jinyoung and Jaebeom excused themselves from the party and headed upstairs. At this point, they could hardly keep their gaze away from each other.

*Chapter 18*

The first few minutes were a blur, Jinyoung didn’t even remember how they ended up in the bed. Having Jaebeom in his arms again was overwhelming for his heart. All he could think about was the times he thought he would never get another glimpse of his slender figure, occasions when laying under the cold sheets filled his lonely conscious with agony. He wept silently into the neck of his lost lover, staining his t-shirt with countless teardrops. 

Jaebeom just held him, occasionally stroking his trembling back. Wiping his own tears in vain, he cooed into Jinyoung’s ears to soothe his pain, assuring him about being here again and that they will never be apart even if all Hell came loose. Jinyoung in return told him weeping on high pitched voice how much he missed him, told him about how hard it was to keep the boys from falling apart while he was barely holding on to dear life himself. Jaebeom praised the angel for his strong soul and love for their family. He laid kisses on his forehead, after that his wet cheeks, reaching the corner of his mouth then kissing the shaky, swollen lips straight on.

Soft touches followed suit, stroking up the arms, getting under the shirt to reach bare skin. Jinyoung turned slightly to fit into Jaebeom’s embrace perfectly, lifting one leg over his firm thigh. They spent eternity like this, just tasting one another, mapping with slow licks. Running out of words meant only one thing, showing how unconditional the love they felt still was.

Jaebeom knelt up between Jinyoung’s legs, lifting the silky t-shirt up. Once the material was discarded over the celestial’s head, he caressed his chest with tiny wet kisses, tongue swiping up and down, reaching the right nipple, going round and round then closing his lips on the hard nub. The suckling brought alluring moans out of Jinyoung, he lifted his semi-hard crotch to rut against Jaebeom’s cushiony stomach. Jaebeom responded by lightly biting into the sensitive body part, then moving further down lapping each centimeter of skin, pushing his long tongue into the appetizing navel. Jinyoung growled even louder, his hand searching to grab onto something, anything.

Jaebeom lowered himself even more while locking gaze with the aroused boy. Hooking his index fingers, he pulled all clothes off and scrunched it in his hand while boldly licking Jinyoung's flushed pink dick from base to tip. He shut his lips around the head and licked into the slit oozing precum already. Jinyoung arched his back at the contact, biting his own arm to muffle his sounds of excitement. Jaebeom then released the tip and continued to spread kitten licks teasingly, savoring each little taste. 

"Beom-ah, Beom-ah.." Jinyoung chanted his name relentlessly.

"Mmmhhh" calling his name turned Jaebeom on even more, he took the whole silky, tender part in his mouth, going lower and lower until he was filled til the back of his throat. He stayed there for a few heartbeats then picked up a torturously slow rhythm. Their hands found each other, Jinyoung grabbed it and played with his fingers in the same rhythm as Jaebeom was going down on him. When he felt like coming, he wrapped each finger in the fold of Jaebeom's and squeezed. He thrust up into his devourer's mouth, dictating faster pace but Jaebeom pulled off with a loud pop. Jaebeom had tears at the corner of his eyes and looked dangerously sexy, fucked out with messy hair and red cheeks. 

"I'd like to be inside you when you come. Please hold on just a little longer." His voice was shaky and rumbling. 

Jinyoung was also panting, eyelids flickering. "I'm sorry. I haven't touched myself since you left. I'm not sure how long I will last. I was very close just there." He pulled out a bottle of lube from the drawer and tossed it into Jaebeom's hand, positioning himself on arms and knees for better access. 

"I'll make it quick, just tell me if it hurts." 

He covered his middle finger in the liquid and circled it around Jinyoung's puckering hole. Round and round it went, feeling the small creases on the delicate skin with the fingertip. When the outside was soaked, the digit pushed through the ring and immersed entirely until Jaebeom's knuckle got in contact with skin. He stopped, waiting for Jinyoung to adjust, creating a distraction by biting into his cheeks. 

Carefully pulling out then re-entering him, he moved gingerly but kept precise pressure on each movement. Soon Jinyoung's face was buried into the feathery pillow, hips moving back and forth, dancing erotically on the now three inserted fingers twisting and turning inside of him.

Attentively, Jaebeom avoided his prostate, saving the best for the last. In seconds, he lined himself up, aching with want, body shaking just at the thought of entering inside the luscious pit. The rim slowly gave in to the pressure, the meaty tip disappeared and the whole girth followed suit inch by inch. 

Jinyoung felt so full, his whole world froze. Inhaling deeply, he relaxed his muscles, biting down on his plump lips. Signaling soon after, Jinyoung grounded his knees in the mattress and helped Jaebeom pull out slightly. Feeling every centimeter on his walls, his heart was racing but his mind was empty. Something genuinely basic took over, being satisfied by the only person that mattered in the whole universe. How he longed for just one more brush of those fingers that now were grabbing his hips, how he wanted to feel the passion-heated skin burning on his thighs like in this very moment.

Overwhelmed with emotions, Jinyoung mewled loudly. Jaebeom hitting his prostate with each slow grind while pumping his long untouched member was such an otherworldly experience. 

"Ssssh, baby. Yes. I know. It feels good right there, doesn't it? I know you missed me, my love but you can let it all go now. I'm here with you. I'm going to catch you. Just let go." Jaebeom was folded over Jinyoung, whispering in his ear, sheltering him with his own body securely.

One more push and Jinyoung was spreading his thighs so wide it would have ached, had he the mindset to focus on that. Only, that attention was concentrated towards pleasures he could not describe any longer. One more push and his head was spinning, each molecule of his body evaporating at the thrusts of Jaebeom. One more push linking their souls together, building up to both of their tipping points. 

Jinyoung came hyperventilating, months of loneliness and pressure running off of him in waves while Jaebeom caressed him through his orgasm. At the tightening sensation with a few uncoordinated thrusts, Jaebeom’s body gave in to the surging pleasure too.

Sharing this special moment between closed doors, knowing that the worst was behind gifted them calmness and undivided solidarity while they came off of their high, stroking each other’s skin absentmindedly.

*Chapter 19*

Jaebeom fell asleep shortly after and Jinyoung was watching him curled under the blanket, peacefully clinging onto Jinyoung’s right arm. Jinyoung smiled, this was one of the little things he missed about him. Feeling his weight next to him, hearing him snort and the cute shuffles he did when he was dreaming of something unpleasant.

Jinyoung dozed off for a while too, then woke still tired. It was early morning but he wanted to make sure the boys had a filling breakfast so he got out of bed and marched into the kitchen. He checked what ingredients were left from yesterday and decided to make a big portion of omelet. Cracking the eggs over the heating oil, then stirring the yolk with the whites, finally adding salt and pepper. He tasted the outcome, but something was missing. Hm… cheese. Yes, that was always a good solution. He took out a big chunk of mozzarella and started to shred it onto a plate. He heard a chiming noise, a bright light filled his vision and before he could realize, the shredder and the cheese was gone from his hands and he was standing in one of Heaven’s office facilities.

“What the he…” the phrase almost slipped from his mouth.

“Watch your mouth, you spent way too much time among those filthy humans down there.”

“Barachiel, it’s a pleasure to see you. Sorry for my outburst and my clothing for that matter. I didn’t expect to be called back without notice.”

“You can thank your actions for that. We learned that you destroyed Wooseok’s medallion.”

“It was more of a teamwork than a solo action but yes. His powers are gone for good.”

“Grand news, my brother. I’m sure the others will be thrilled to discover such a magnificent announcement.”

“Thank you, brother. May I return to my humans or do you require full disclosure of the event?”

“Wait a little longer, please. We need to discuss your position now that your task is fulfilled.”

“Fulfilled? But the boys are still under my watch, aren’t they?”

“Not exactly. I’ll be frank with you because I know you will understand. You were sent to Earth for Jaebeom and not the boys as you were told at the beginning. The demon caused many troubles for Heaven but we couldn’t move against him, that is why we hoped Jaebeom could be useful in this matter. In an underground channel, we set the assassination request on you and Wooseok sent Jaebeom. We knew how he would react once he sees you and the other human beings. We knew he would move against Wooseok out of feelings for you.”

“So you needed Wooseok gone and let someone else do the dirty work for you? Is that what you’re trying to say?”

“You can twist my words as much as you want if that gives you gratification but at the end of the day, we all shape humanity and give them subtle nudges in a direction that we see fit. Now that we discussed this, we offer you a higher position in Heaven for your hard work, expecting you to take your new place effective immediately.”

Jinyoung’s heart almost beat out of his chest. “With all due respect. After what you’ve put me through, I hoped my services could be excused and I could request being placed on Earth permanently.”

“You are one of our best guardian angels, are you sure this is what you truly want? Those human beings will grow old and die while you remain young and immortal.”

“You did not understand me correctly. I would like to stay with them as a human. Grow old together and die of old age.”

“You know very well, that old age is not guaranteed down there. Are you willing to risk your life for them?”

“For them, yes. Especially for one specific person.” Jinyoung gave a huge smile thinking about the love of his life, waiting for him in their bed.

“Very well then. If this is your wish, you have been a great asset but I’d rather let you go than see your work become less fruitful because we didn’t grant your wish.”

“Thank you for your understanding and the generous offer. Also if you could handle one more issue before I take my leave. As you may know, Jaebeom was declared dead for months. It would be beneficial to hide this information from the human minds - outside our family of course. I can guarantee that they will not talk about this to anyone but to ensure that nobody questions why he is suddenly back from the dead would be a necessary arrangement.”

“You are right about that. Consider it sorted. Take care of yourself, Jinyoung. We might meet again.”

“I do hope so. Farewell, brother.”

With the familiar chiming noise and light, Jinyoung was back in the kitchen, the eggs still cooking on the stove. He quickly tended to the food before it could burn and then put it in the heater to keep it warm for whoever wakes up first.

He quietly snuck back into bed and when Jaebeom hugged him asking where he went, he only said:  
  
“Everything is fine, my love. Let’s go back to sleep.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you got to the end and you're reading this, thank you for your time and for choosing my story. I hope you had a nice time with it. Comments are welcome as always :)


End file.
